Holder for golf clubs



July 24, 1928. I v 1,678,353

7 w. F. REACH HOLDER FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed July 2, 1927 V V "I, i I V Snow J01,

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Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES A 1,678,353 PATENT. OFFICE.

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nonnnn 103 comonvns. Application filed July 2, 1927. Serial no. 203,202.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been customary for dealers in sporting goods to keep golf clubs for storage and display by-standin them on end, club head downwards, wit the handle end resting against a wall or like support. This not onl makes it diflicult to prevent accidental 'splacement of the clubs, but when the clubs are kept in stock for a material length of time tends to roduce or aggravate warping of the club aft.

My said invention aims to provide means by which clubs may be held in dis lay cs1- tlon in parallelism, and when esire 1n grouped arrangement, as for example, a complete set. v

The invention further aims to provide means by which the shafts will be kept straight and warping prevented.

The invention further aims to rovide a device of this character so forme as to be capable of being used as a rackonly when the season or circumstances require frequent removal of the clubs.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention includes the novel features of con struction, and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and partlcularly defined by the appended claims.

What I at present consider the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a club holder with a set of clubs therein. 7

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail through the upper cross bar, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of a modification. Referring by reference characters to this drawing, my holder is shown as a frame of suitable material, such as oak com rising side bars 1 and cross bars 1 and 1", 0 which there are preferably three, the side and end bars being firmly and rigidly connected in any approved manner. The two cross bars 1 are provided with a plurality of respectively alined shaft receiving recesses a of a depth somewhat less than the diameter of the shaft at the point to be engaged thereby, which recesses are preferabl tapered to correspond to the tapered or ared portion of the shaft, as shown.

The cross bar 1" is provided with a series of recesses b which are respectivel alined with the recesses 11 and are prefera ly of a little more than semi-circular in cross section so that entrance slots are provided which are narrower than the diameter of the recesses, these entrance slots being of such width that when the narrowest art of the club shaft is inserted through t e slot and the club moved lengthwise, it will be locked in the recess, for a purpose hereinafter described.

There may be an number of recesses a and 6 according to he number of the clubs -it is desired to retain and display by the use of one holder. Overlying each cross bar 1 1s a shaft retaining and clampin member 2.

Means are provided b which e members 2 may be moved away mm the members 1 to permit the insertion of the shafts in the recesses a and for subsequently drawing or pressing the members 2 towards the members 1 to-clamp the shafts firmly therebetween and in the recesses.

My preferred means for accomplishing this is to provide bolts 3 passing centrally through the members 1 and through alined openings in the members 2, said bolts being provided with milled nuts 4 which bear on the outer surfaces of the members 2.

Upon loosening the nuts 4 the clamp members 2 may be swung to vertical position to clear or expose the recesses a, whereupon the shafts may be seated in the recesses, and when the bars 2 are again swung back to parallelism with the cross bars 1 and the nuts tightened the shafts will be firmly held against warping and the set of clubs can be readily put in any desired place for display or stora e, or moved about as a unit.

. In or er that the holder may be hung on a wall or like support, I provide it with a suspending clip 6 having an eye 6 to engage a nail or the like.

While I have described the invention as designed for holding clubs for display purposes, it is not limited to such use. For example, it will also be found desirable as an 100 adjunct 'to golfers who, when the clubs are not in use as during the winter, can store them away clamped in my improved holder with the assurance of the handles thereof bein maintained in straight condition.

-W lien it is desired to use the holder as a rack only and dispense with the clamping feature, the clamp bars may be removed or locked by the clamp screws in substantially vertical position, when the clubs will be held in position. by their engagement with the contracted mouths or entrance slots of the upper recesses 6, each club merely resting in the lower recesses a and being readily removable by merely lifting it until the narrower part of the shaft alines with the entrance slot of its recess 6.

It will be obvious that if a press frame only was desired, the upper cross bar could be provided with recesses similar to those of the lower cross bars and an additional clamping bar provided.

It will also be obvious that if desired the recesses in the frame cross bars could be of less depth and the (-oacting faces of the clamp bars provided with coactinrr recesses.

If desired, the recesses may be lined with felt or analogous material to prevent any marring of finished handle surfaces, as indicated at 1", Fig. 3.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for golf club shafts comprising a rigid frame, composed of a pair of side members, end cross members joining the side members, and a rigid cross member intermediate the end cross members, each of said cross members having a transverse channeled recess therein, said recesses aligning longitudinally of the frame, to receive a golf club therein extending between the cross members, the channeled recess in one of said end cross members having a contracted entrance slot, the entrance slots of the channeled recesses in the other cross members being uncontractcd, the recess having the contracted entrance slot being adapted to receive the shaft of a golf club and to lock the club in the end of the contracted recess, clamping bars for clamping the club in the recesses in the said other cross members, said clamping bars each overlying the recesses face of one of said cross members, each of said other cross members having a central opening therein, bolts mounted one in each opening and projecting from said cross member, each of said clamping bars having a central bore adapted to receive a bolt therethrough, and nuts on the bolts bearing on the outer surfaces of the clamping bars, and adapted to be operated to clamp the bars to the cross members.

2. A holder for golf clubs comprising three rigidly supported members disposed in parallel planes, each member having a series of shaft receiving recesses open at both ends, the recesses of one of said members having contracted months which are of greater width than the narrowest diameter of a golf club shaftand narrower than its greatest diameter, the distance between the outside members being less than the length of the 4. A holder for golf clubs'comprisinga rigid frame having upper, lower and inter- 'mediate members disposed in parallel planes,

each of said members having a series of shaft receiving recesses open at both ends and with the respective recesses in alignment with each other, the recesses of the upper member having entrance mouths which are but slightly larger than the smallest diameter of the shaft, the distance between the upper and lower members being less than the distance between the club head and handle whereby the head and handle project respectively above and below the upper and lower members, and removable means for closing the open mouths of at least one of the lower members.

5. A holder according to claim 4 in which the recesses in the two lower members are of less depth than the diameter of the shaft portions engaging the same, and the closure means is in the shape of bars with means for causing them to extort pressure on the shaft portions.

6. A holder for golf clubs comprising a rigid frame having upper, lower and intermediate members arranged in parallelism, each of said members having a series of open sided shaft receiving recesses which are open at both ends, and with the recesses of the respective series in alignment, the recesses in the upper member being of slightly more than semicircular form and having open mouths of a width exceeding the diameter of the narrowest portion of the shaft but less than the diameter adjacent the hosel, the recesses in the intermediate and lower cross bars being of substantially V shape, and displaceable clamping means cooperating with said intermediate and lower members for clamping the shaftstherein, said upper and lower members being spaced apart a distance not greater than the distance between the club head and handle grip of the shortest club usable in the holder.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. REACH. 

